Leslie M. John
John saw in his vision an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a huge chain in his hand. The angel conquered Satan that cheated Eve and bound him and cast him into that abyss for thousand years in order that he may not deceive any one. John was given an understanding that Satan will be let loose for a short period of time after the thousand-year-rule by Jesus Christ is completed. The angel put a seal on the bottom-less pit where Satan was bound and the angel shuts him up in the abyss.
Then John saw that there were thrones. He saw that judgment was given unto those who sat upon them. He saw the souls of martyrs of those who stood for Jesus and for the word of God. He also saw those who did not worship Antichrist, or his image, or received the mark of the beast either on their hands or on their foreheads. They all lived and reigned with Christ for thousand years.
These are those who faced Great Tribulation under Antichrist and successfully come out from his atrocious rule. Antichrist promises peace for seven years but after three and half years he breaks covenant and there will be great tribulation. Jews will be cheated by his false promises. After facing Great Tribulation the Jews will call upon Jesus to save them and they will accept Jesus as their Messiah. They live and reign with Christ for thousand years. This is the period when Jesus rules literally from the throne of David from Jerusalem and there would be peace everywhere. Satan will not be active at that period of time.
During the period of Antichrist the Jews face tremendous torture that surpasses any kind of tribulation, harassment, or torture faced by any body in the world from the beginning. The Jews need help during this time. They are the ‘brethren’ of our Lord Jesus Christ who was himself a Jew. There are three classes mentioned in Matthew Chapter 25. They are the ‘Sheep’, the ‘Goats’ and the ‘brethren’. To the category of the Sheep belong those who help during the Great Tribulation period the ‘brethren’ of Jesus Christ and to the category of the Goats belong those who have neglected Jews during the Great Tribulation period.
When Jesus descends from the mid-air after the completion of seven-year period of Antichrist’s rule, he steps on the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives cleaves in the midst towards the east and the west, resulting in a very great valley. Half of the mountain shall be removed toward the north and half toward the south. (Zechariah 14:4). This Valley is called ”Valley of Jehoshaphat’. (Joel 3:1-2)
There was no such place as ”Valley of Jehoshaphat” before or now is in Israel, but there will be such place in the future. The word ”Jehoshaphat” means ”The Lord Judges”. This is the throne of Jesus from where he judges the nations on this earth. Here he will gather all the nations to judge. Those whom Jesus justifies as having helped his ‘brethren’ and those Jews who have accept Jesus as Messiah during Great Tribulation period will enter into literal thousand year reign by Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says to the nations who have helped his ‘brethren’ ”Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Those whom Jesus does not justify as having helped the ‘brethren’ during Great Tribulation will not be in the thousand year rule by Jesus Christ, but will be cast out. Jesus says to them ”Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”. We who are in the Church saved by the grace of God, having been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ will be with Him for ever and ever in bodies that are transformed in a twinkling of an eye at the last trump (Ref. 1 Corinthians 15:52). This happens when the trumpet sounds when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17